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Recently, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, with the backing of congressional representatives, and even Holywood  has launched another attempt at scaring consumers into  thinking “big brother is watching out for you ”.  Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, sponsored by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc. Was introduced on Capitol Hill.

While the safe use of ingredients used in personal care products is of the utmost priority, this act will not, and cannot guarantee this.  Charging an annual fee to companies with sales over $1,000,000 sounds good, but in reality, that only proves the companies can afford the fee, not that they are in compliance to rules and regulations!  For those companies that cannot afford the fee?  Simply put, they will be out of business………, but does that mean the company did not offer quality products with GRS – generally regarded as safe, ingredients?  Not at all!

Personal Care Products Council’s president and chief executive officer, Lezlee Westine, stated:  “For decades, the industry has had an impeccable safety record under the existing requirements implemented by FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Our products remain among the safest in the marketplace.”  The FDA, Food and Drug Administration, has very explicit requirements for labeling cosmetic products, and the ingredients used in these products.  Why then do we need more legislation, fees, and additional testing on ingredients already GRS – generally regarded as safe?  Perhaps there is a hidden agenda?

Eliminate the competition …. What better way to eliminate the competition than by hiding under the pretense of protecting the consumer?  And, think about it – this legislation does not include imported products.  Imported products, today, and in the future”, still be allowed into our mainstream consumer market without having to adhere to the same regulations as US based businesses.  Larger US manufacturing companies, with off-shore holdings, sitting as board members and advisors on off shore companies, and not having to comply with the same regulations as US only based companies. 

Is the consumer being protected more?  No!  The unsuspecting consumer, thinking all these additional requirements will make their products safer, is being led down the path of political and monetary gain of  large corporations, politicians, and very powerful tax-exempt organizations. 

Once again, the possibility of a smaller  business, to stay in business,  is questionable.  Once again, as a consumer, my choices would be limited to products manufactured by companies able to pay large fees, initiate records for additional testing, and still not be able to actually prove the ingredients used are not going to cause cancer!

Additional reading:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h5786ih.txt.pdf

http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/2010/07/21/the-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010-has-been-introduced/

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Here it is!  Compiled in one place, here is the descriptions and recommended application by skin tone.

http://site.herbalnatures.com/mineralhandout.pdf

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Often, we are asked to know our skin tone.  But, how do we know what tone our skin is?  Try this:

Using natural light from the sun, (standing in front of a window), make a fist and look at your inner wrist. What color are your veins of your inner wrist? Signs of cool color toned skin are veins that are mainly blue, while mainly green toned veins are signs of a warm color toned skin. If your veins are a mix of blue and green, then this is a sign of a neutral toned skin.

Cool Toned Skin:

1. Your eyes are usually blue or blue/gray and your natural hair color is Blonde, Brown, or Black.
2. Wrist veins, in natural light, will appear blue and your skin will have definite pinkish or blue undertones.
3. You burn easily in the sun, or burn, then turn tan.
4. You look best in silver jewelry

Warm Toned Skin:

1. Your eyes are usually Brown, Green, or Hazel.
2. Wrist veins, in natural light, will appear green, and your skin will have yellow, peach, or olive undertones.
3. You usually tan without a burn in the sun.
4. You look best in gold jewelry 

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No one can really claim “all natural” when it comes to minerals or colorants such as oxides. They are naturally derived, but have gone thru a process to remove some of the “natural” ingredients that a person would never want to put on their skin.

Inorganic pigments may be derived from naturally occurring mineral sources, such as titanium dioxide or sericite mica.  They may also be derived from a synthetic produced mineral source, such as ultramarine blue (kaolin clay and other additives fired at high temperatures to produce the color and then cleaned of the sulfer that results from this process)

When mined and in their natural state, often times iron oxides are combined with toxic metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury.  Regulation by the FDA of oxides used in cosmetic colorants helps to assure the toxicity levels of the oxides have been reduced and are safe for the skin.  The process of removing toxins and refining the oxides reduces the natural state to a naturally derived state.

Micas are created by a combination of sericite mica (uncolored mica) and pigments (oxides).  This process reduces the potency of the pigment, creates a more translucent blend,  and offers a rainbow of color variations. 

It is this author’s opinion, drug and cosmetic (D&C) and Food Drug & Cosmetic (FC&C), although approved for use, should not be used in a mineral cosmetic blend.   These colors are synthetically created and reduce the mineral blend to less than naturally derived.  

This original article was written by Melanie McCullough, administrator, in July of 2006

Contrary to what some may think, our make up brushes, just like our toothbrushes, need to be changed or cleaned regularly. If your brushes are not kept clean, not only will you not get optimal performance from your brushes, but you will be adding dirt, residual make up, and bacteria back onto your skin. Natural hair bristle brushes are easier to clean, and dry faster. Natural bristle brushes also allow mineral cosmetics to be applied with ease and the application is very natural looking. My absolute favorite brush is the luscious kabuki brush.  It is so soft and feels like velvet across my face.

Time and again, the question comes up: “how come your minerals are so inexpensive?” The answer:

As the owner of Herbal Natures, I am also a consumer.  As a consumer, I do not want to pay for added expenses that are not part of the product. For example:

1)   Herbal Natures minerals are high quality, but the packaging is affordable, therefore no added expenses are passed on to our customers to cover fancy packaging.

2)  Herbal Natures has no expenses for infomercials or model contracts that are added to  the product cost.

 3)  Herbal Natures does not add fillers to increase profit margin and short change our customers.

When you purchase your minerals from Herbal Natures, you will get high quality, no fillers, and made with your budget in mind!